Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J.- P. POWELL.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 439,424. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

I jjvmwzojz K0 :EzmewIPaaeZ Z .dharney WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMESF. POIV ELL, OF CHESTNUT, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,424, dated October 28,1890.

Application filed June 1'7, 1890. Serial No. 355,750. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES F. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chestnut, in the county of Amherst and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-couplers, and particularly to the class of automatic couplers; and it consists in the novel arrangement and construction of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The object of the invention is to provide a coupler with a pivoted coupling-pin controlled by a bow-spring attached to the drawbar of such coupler.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupler with a pivoted coupling-pin which will relieve the pivot-bolt thereof of any strain or pull from the coupling-link by constructing the draw-head so that the coupling-pin (which is pivoted therein) will bear againstthe top and bottom of the drawhead and cause the strain from the pull of the coupling-link, when the cars are coupled, to come on the body of the coupling-pin, and hence on the top and bottom of the draw head.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the bow-spring with an adjusting device whereby the coupling-link will follow the up-and-down motion of the cars, while the pull or strain of such link is on the couplingpin, without disturbing or moving in the least the coupling-pin.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of two couplers constructed according to my invention, showing them coupled. Fig. 2 is similar view showing one of the coupling-pins thrown out of contact with the coupling-link and leaving the couplers ready to be drawn apart. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of one of my couplers, showing the link held level by the adjusting device. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of my regulating device. Fig. 5 is an end or front view of one of the couplers as shown in Fig. l with the link removed, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of an ordinary couplingpin shouldered or notched.

Like letters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures.

The bottom A of the draw-head B has a longitudinal groove a, which slants downwardly toward the front. end of the draw-head and ends or emerges into an aperture 1), which is about the size of the coupling-pin to be employed.

The top C of the draw-head B has a longitudinal slot 0, and is cast with lugs D at right angles to said top. The lugs D extend horizontally the whole length and beyond either end of the slot 0. These two lugs D are cast With their sides flush with the sides of the slot 0, hence leaving a space between them (the lugs) of the same width as the said slot. Such space mayor may not be partly covered, and the lugs may be made of a different shape than is shown-that is, instead of having a straight top edge, it maybe curved or rounding-and they may be cast nearer the side edges of the draw-head, thus making them thicker and stronger, as would be required in their use upon heavy freight-cars.

Through the main portion of the lugs D are bored pivot-holes (I, to accommodate a pivot bolt E, by means of which is pivoted between thelugs D a coupling-pin F, having a pivot-holef, and the pin projects LbO"6 the lugs D and extends downward through the slot 0 and draw-head into the aperture 1). The pin F has a shoulder G formed on its rear side at a sufiicient distance below the central line of the pivot-hole f to allow said pin to be forced into an upright position by pressure brought to bear on such shoulder.

Although it is preferred to use a couplingpin constructed as shown in the drawings, an ordinary coupling-pin may be employed, such as are now used, by simply forming a notch or shoulder thereon and making a pivot-hole through it. I

To the draw'bar H is secured one end of a' bow-spring I, the other end of which extends into the space between the lugs D and onto the shoulder G of the coupling-pin F, thus having the main pressure of said spring on the coupling-pin, so as to always hold it in its proper position, no matter how much the coupling'link may rub or play against it.

The adjusting or regulating device consists of a U-shaped rod L securely attached to the spring I, and its arms 1' extend over the top and down the outer sides of the lugs D and into slanting apertures M in the top 0 of the draw-head. Through these apertures M the arms t extend far enough below the inner Wall of the top 0 to bear on the -coupling-link? When it enters the draw-head and to keep it in position to be readily received by the approaching draw-head, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This U-shaped adj ustingrod, being firmly fixed in its center to the spring I and its arm 1' always having a bearing in the apertures M, keeps the spring from any side movement and compels it to always keep its place on the shoulder G of the coupling-pin.

By the coupling-pin extending some distance above the lugs G it affords ready means for such pin to be pushed backward by an attendant on the platform of a car pressing his foot or hand against the top portion of the pin, thus throwing the lower portion of the pin out of the aperture Z) and releasing the coupling-link.

To the pivot-boltE is pivoted on either side of the lugs D a rod N, bent at n and having at each end a handle 0. This rod N is pro-- vided so as to throw the coupling-pin out of contact with the coupling-link by turning either of the handles 0, which causes the crank or bent portion at to strike the'back of the coupling-pin, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the present construction of the spring, the coupling-pin, or the regulating device, as I reserve to myself the right to change the construction and arrangement of 

